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Hearty, healthy and super flavorful, this soup is loaded with lots of great veggies and a burst of south-of-the-border flavor. The avocado salsa takes it right over the top!
Whether you enjoy being indulgent or head more towards light and lean, I think you'll love this Southwestern Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup. It's so rich with vibrant south-of-the-border flavor, you might not guess that it's also super good for you. I love adding lots of healthy veggies to my soups; they make the soup wonderfully nutrient-rich, and also act as a thickening agent in these types of pureed soups, eliminating the need for starchy, calorie-laden thickeners.
The vegetables are roasted to intensify the flavor, then added to a simmering stock. After everything is nice and tender, the mixture is pureed with an immersion blender*** or regular blender. The veggies also make the soup quite creamy and smooth, but I boosted up the creaminess one more notch with with a generous dollop of healthy Greek yogurt.
So there you have it; lots of fresh veggies, chicken stock (use vegetable stock if you prefer), canned tomatoes, yummy Mexican-inspired seasonings, herbs and Greek yogurt. Nothing to feel guilty about and everything to enjoy!
The soup is delicious on it's own, but I had some fun with topping it too. I used this wonderful Avocado Salsa - it's simple and really let's the avocados shine. The recipe makes more than you'll need for the soup, but once you taste it, you'll be so happy to have enough to scoop up with tortilla or pita chips.
Got company coming? Make soup! This one's so easy to throw together, can be made ahead, makes a beautiful presentation and everyone seems to love southwestern-inspired cuisine. Just add a pan of warm, from-the-oven cornbread (recipe coming!) and a bowl of honey butter* and you'll be sure to see smiles all around the table.
Espero que lo disfruten (I hope you enjoy it)!
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion cut in half and each half quartered
- 1 pound carrots roughly chopped (when I'm feeling lazy, I just use a bag of the mini carrots- works well with no peeling or chopping involved)
- 2 stalks celery cut in 2-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander*
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 8 cloves garlic
- 2 14-15- ounce cans diced fire-roasted canned tomatoes (if you can't find fire-roasted, don't worry, just use regular canned, diced tomatoes.)
- 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 12- ounce jar roasted red peppers*
- ½ cup cilantro stems and leaves packed (Don't skip the cilantro, it adds delicious flavor, even if you're not a cilantro lover. You'd never know there was cilantro included.)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ batch Avocado Salsa You might want to make a whole batch of this wonderful salsa. It's great for scooping with tortilla or pita chips.
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Preheat oven to 450˚F. Line a sheet pan with foil for easy clean up. Spray the foil lightly with cooking spray.
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Combine onion, carrots and celery on the prepared sheet pan. Sprinkle with the basil, oregano, cumin, coriander, chili powder and brown sugar. Drizzle all over with the olive oil and stir with a non-metal** spatula to combine. Tuck the garlic cloves under some of the other veggies near the center to protect them from burning.
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Roast for 10 minutes then remove from oven and stir again with a non-metal spatula**. Again, try to keep garlic cloves near the center and under the other veggies. Return to oven for another 10 minutes.
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While veggies are roasting, combine tomatoes, chicken broth, drained roasted red peppers, cilantro and kosher salt in a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce to a steady simmer.
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When veggies are finished roasting, add them to the pot with tomato mixture. I just pick up the long edges of the foil and transfer the roasted veggies to the pot. Lay the foil flat on a work surface and scrape any of the spice/oil mixture that is left on the foil. That's the good stuff!
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Add the salt and return to a steady simmer, cover with lid slightly ajar, and cook for 20 minutes.
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Remove from heat and purée with an immersion blender*** or a regular blender. If using a regular blender, blend in small batches and crack the blender lid slightly (steam can build up and cause soup to splatter all over the place) or remove the center cap from the lid and cover with a small funnel, a kitchen towel or several thicknesses of paper toweling.
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Return soup to pot, (if using a regular blender) and keep warm. Serve in shallow bowls with a scoop of Avocado Salsa.
* If you're not familiar with ground coriander, you'll want this delicious spice in your arsenal. It a bright flavored, slightly citrusy condiment that is used frequently in Mexican, Indian and Southeast Asian cuisines.
** You could definitely roast your own peppers but the skins need to be removed before adding to the soup, which is a pain if you're in a hurry (like I usually am). I really like the convenience of good quality, jarred roasted red peppers.
** I love these heat resistant, large silicon spatulas. I use them all the time as they keep my hands away from hot liquids or ingredients. They can be thrown in the dishwasher and just don't seem to wear out. The best part is they're super cheap so I like to have a bunch of them in my utensil drawer.
*** I'd find it hard to get along in the kitchen without my immersion blender. It makes it super simple to make creamy sauces and soup without having to transfer everything to a blender. They are fairly inexpensive and are a real workhorse in the kitchen.
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Melissa L. says
Hi, Chris... I have my veggies in the oven now... my only question is you refer to "pesto" after the cilantro... is that just a cut and paste from another recipe? Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for your sharp eyes, Melissa! We corrected it!
Barb says
Hi Chris, love your site! Please advise the amount of diced tomatoes needed for the recipe. Thanks!
Barb says
Love your site Chris.. Can you please advise the amount (oz.) of diced tomatoes used in the recipe ?
Sandra says
I'm a fan of all of your recipes and this one is a real winner. Love, love, love tomato soup!
stacciw says
I made this soup last week, and it is absolutely delicious. We sprinkled mozzarella cheese & croutons on top which was the perfect compliment. This recipe and your scrumptious Pumpkin Crumb Muffins are now in our recipe rotation. Thanks for the great recipes.
Chris Scheuer says
Yum, sounds great with the croutons! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
M.nelson says
Made this soup today. Like but don't love it. I felt there was very little "tomato" flavor and ended up adding a can of tomato paste. BUT I must say nearly every recipe of Your's I have tried I think have been spot on. Keep new recipes coming. Love this sight.
mary hirsch says
I don't know which is better about your Post today - your using such a big word (dichotomy) at the lunch table or seeing the term, Fast Metabolism Diet , as I was scrolling down to make this comment. I vote for the one-stop-shop description myself. And, if I could look like Jennifer Lopez, Raquel Welch and Reese Witherspoon who are purported to have sped up their's, perhaps I should jump on board!!! Your soup looks delicious and especially served with the avocado salsa. While I'm on the Central Cali Coast this Winter (your vacation stomping grounds), I buy wonderful avocados at will. As I said, I am enjoying all your avocado recipes. Keep them coming.
Betty says
That soup looks good on its own, but the avocado salsa puts it over the top! I love all of the vegetables- it's as full of vegetables as a salad, but nice and hot to warm you up on a cold winter day. 🙂
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
A storm just moved in and it's raining so I have soup on my mind - this is just what I want for dinner, I love these flavors!
Sophia @ NYfoodgasm says
This looks amazing especially with the addition of the avocado salsa! Soooooo damn good!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
Roasting the vegetables is a great idea! Actually the whole soup is wonderful. Scott is right - you do a great job with all of if - everything in moderation right? Have a lovely weekend!
Liz says
Your roasted vegetable soup looks divine! And as far as the avocado salsa garnish? Just pass me a spoon!
P.S. You and Scott are so sweet together!! xo
Lisa {AuthenticSuburbanGourmet} says
Chris - I am SO loving your avocado salsa - simply brilliant! This is my kind of soup - and would be perfect for this weekend since we are expecting a big storm and haven't had rain since December.
Claire @ Claire K Creations says
I never would have thought to add avocado salsa to a soup Chris but what a great idea. A one-stop-shop for recipes and an ideas woman!
Kim - Liv Life says
Not only do you make amazing, healthy, beautiful dishes, but you cut the most attractive avocado I've seen! I just can't seem to get it a nicely diced as you do. Brian has been asking for soup, and he loves peppers. I think this one will be on the menu this week to continue his recovery!! One day we're going to stop at the Cafe in person!
Vicki Bensinger says
Chris this looks so good and perfect for the single digit temps we had today. Tomato soup is one of my all time favorites, I like your jazzed up version.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
It's all about balance. Once all the fudge is gone, we eat soup. 🙂 This looks wonderful!
Angie says
I guessed this would be worth the wait, and I'm not disappointed! My husband and I are resetting our metabolisms by trying out the healthy, whole cooking style of the Fast Metabolism Diet for a few weeks. This will be perfect for Phase 3 as long as I find a substitution for the brown sugar. (But rest assured, when these couple of weeks are over, I'm making it again exactly as directed!) Thanks again for all your efforts into creating such appealing recipes and beautiful presentations. My eyes and tastebuds are thrilled.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
I love your recipes, both decadent and healthy ones, Chris. The soup looks hearty and very delicious!
Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon says
Soup sounds good today. I love a little dollop of yogurt for the tart to offset the sweet of the soup. Delish with a capital D.